Rebellion Against Fate
by Awinnerwasyou
Summary: The sequel to Battle Against Fate. Expect new characters, new challenges, new powers, and a dark secret that will turn everything upside down... Contains Yuri.
1. Prologue

**I'm not dead! Sorry it's taken so long to upload anything, it's been a busy couple of months for me, what with Christmas, not being able to reach my laptop for a while, having a ton of games to play through and general laziness stopping me from writing. Since it's been so long, I thought what better way to start the new year off than with that sequel to Battle Against Fate which I've promised you? Well, here it is!**

**This is the second part of my Kampfer trilogy, and completely departs from the main storyline of the anime. What can you expect? Well, some new characters, for a start- including a brand new Kampfer! One thing I will point out- the main theme of this story is relationships, and will put a lot of focus on Tara's relationships with the people around her. Because of this, there won't be a huge amount of action here. However, I'm planning some pretty big and elaborate set pieces, so when the action finally does come, it'll be worth it. I hope anyway- I've thought up some good stuff, but whether or not I can put them into words remains to be seen. I'll certainly try my best in any case. There will also be some major surprises in store as well. Yup, this should hopefully be a worthy sequel, so please look forward to what's coming!**

**Before these notes take up half a page, I'll just say that I'm starting the story with this prologue. which gives a very brief taster of what to expect later on, along with a brief recap of the events of Battle Against Fate. I nonetheless recommend reading that story before starting here, so you have a better idea of what's going on. (The fact that I'm terrible at recaps probably doesn't help, mind…)**

**So, with that, please enjoy this exciting sequel! And, of course, please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kampfer.**

Prologue- Premonition

I had that dream again. That same dream I've been having ever since last week. Is that the sixth time I've had it now? Or the seventh? I can't even remember anymore…

It always begins the same. A place filled with darkness, obscuring everything except one person. A girl, kneeling down, as if she's bowing down to someone. That girl, Kaede Sakura… She begins to speak, and her words are perfectly clear to me…

"I apologise for my failure to bring the red and blue Kampfers under control." She says. "It seems they are much stronger than any of us had anticipated. Even I was unable to beat them…"

Another voice rings out from the darkness. It is greatly distorted, leaving me unable to figure out who it is. I wonder if this voice belongs to one of the Moderators.

"Just consider yourself lucky you and your white Kampfers didn't disappear after you were defeated." It says. "That one who defeated you by herself came very close to killing you, as well. The fact you are even standing here right now is because she was too weak to finish you off. This is perhaps the only weakness they have- a refusal to kill. That's why I am giving you one last chance. Because you may be able to find a way to exploit that weakness. You must bring them back under control, and if you can't, you must eliminate them. They are supposed to be fighting each other. We cannot afford for them to do as they please. They have to fight, no matter what. You may leave. Just do not fail me again, otherwise, it will be your last!"

"I understand. I think I know of a way we can defeat them…" says Sakura, standing back up. As everything whites out, I hear her mutter one last thing to herself.

"Natsuru… I'll do whatever it takes to make you mine…"

I now find myself in an ancient looking city. There is a fierce battle going on between a group of Kampfers, one so intense I can barely see what's going on. What I can make out is that red and blue Kampfers are fighting alongside each other. Whoever it is, I know for certain it isn't us. I keep thinking that this may be a battle fought a long time ago. Their opponents are not white Kampfers, however. Their bracelets are a similar colour to the usual red and blue ones, but they are a much darker colour. Their abilities are much more powerful than the average Kampfer, and it seems they are capable of using more than one type of power. I've never seen anything like it before. I can't see much, but I can tell their power is terrifying. Before I know it, the Kampfers with the light coloured bracelets are wiped out, unable to withstand the relentless onslaught from their opponents. It is then when the dark Kampfers notice me, and begin to move in my direction. Great, now they're after me… Scared, I fall flat on my ass and hold my own bracelet in front of me, concentrating like hell. No matter how hard I try though, I cannot transform. Becoming more and more afraid, I keep trying to transform, but it is ultimately futile.

"Come on! Come on! Change already!" I shout out, but my bracelet still doesn't respond. Not that transforming would do me any good anyway. These guys took down a whole army of standard Kampfers, so how the hell can I handle them on my own? The next thing I know, the dark Kampfers have surrounded me. One of them lifts her bracelet in my direction, and a glow emits from it, followed by a searing pain…

…...

As ever, it was at that point when I woke up, screaming. I was shaking like crazy, and in a cold sweat. Shit, why do I keep having this dream? Is this supposed to be some kind of warning, like my Kampfer sense is tingling or something? I just wish it would go away… As I sat down on my bed, I looked over at my alarm clock. It read 3:01. I also saw Pierced Sea Turtle lying fast asleep next to it. Wonder if she's dreaming? Do stuffed animals even dream? As I was contemplating this, I heard my door open. It made me jump, but I was relived to see it was just Dad.

"Are you okay, Tara?" He said. "Your screaming woke us both up."

"I'm fine, really." I replied. "Just had a bad dream, is all. I'm not hurt or anything…"

"That's a relief." said Dad. "Just try not to be too loud if you have any more nightmares, okay? I know you go back to school tomorrow, but don't forget that Mom has to go to work as well. We don't want either of you to be too tired now, do we?"

"I know. Don't worry, I'll try to be more quiet in future." I smiled, giving Dad a big hug. As he went back to his own bedroom, I lied back down in my bed and tried to go back to sleep, although I couldn't help thinking back to that dream. I've had it so many times, I'm amazed it still frightens me. Just what does it mean?

All this started back when I moved from my old home in New York, to Japan, when Mom got a promotion in her job. A few weeks after I settled in to my new life here, I found a creepy plushie that was part of the inexplicably popular Entrails Animals series. It belonged to Kaede Sakura, one of the most popular girls at my school. When I woke up the following day, I found a mysterious red bracelet around my wrist. The plushie came to life, and told me I had become a Kampfer- an elite warrior. I was supposed to fight others like myself- those wearing blue bracelets. It was pretty much the ultimate battle of Red Vs. Blue. At first, I was terrified of the prospect of fighting- a notion not helped by my first few battles. However, I soon received help from another red Kampfer named Megumi. Thanks to her, I was able to overcome my fears and become a better fighter. Eventually, I fell in love with her, although I was desperate to convince myself that I wasn't at first. But I accepted my feelings for her eventually, and we've been a item ever since. But one thing was bugging me- why do we Kampfers fight? It was a question that was plaguing another red Kampfer named Shizuku. She lost a dear friend to these battles, and she'd been trying to find out the truth ever since. In the meantime, I discovered that my best friend Akane was also a Kampfer, and we encountered another two, as well- Mikoto, a hyperactive young girl who spent most of her time out of the country due to her parents being archaeologists, and Natsuru, a boy who's Kampfer power turns him into a girl when it is activated. That's the other weird thing about being a Kampfer- they have to be female. Also, Shizuku, Akane and Mikoto were all in love with Natsuru, constantly fighting each other over him. Eventually, we all agreed to a truce, but in doing so, a new band of Kampfers- the white Kampfers- were created to try and eliminate us. We eventually learned that we were fighting a Proxy War being fought in another galaxy, though that only led us to more questions. We also learned that Sakura was involved in the war, selecting people to become Kampfers by giving them Entrails Animals… Shortly afterwards, she tried to finish us off by herself, however, I was able to defeat her. Since then, we haven't heard anything from her, nor had we had any more battles. That was just a few short weeks ago, and I had a feeling that even though things had been pretty quiet over those last few weeks, things would get more serious soon- and it would go far beyond anything that we could have ever anticipated. And I had a feeling my dream may have something to do with it.

My name is Tara Goodman, and my story is only just beginning…


	2. Encounter

**Okay, hope that prologue whet your appetite for what's to come. Now, with this first chapter, the story starts properly. This chapter immediately introduces two new characters- one is the brand new Kampfer I mentioned in the prologue, who will play quite a big role in this story. I won't say any more than that. The other new character isn't mine per se, but actually belongs to Dawn's Luvr, who let me use the character for this story. This particular character was originally going to be introduced in the third and final story in this trilogy, but I decided it would be better to make an introduction in this part for more character development. I hope you like them both. Also, remember when I said there will be a few surprises in this fanfic? The first one is actually at the end of this chapter. **

**Updates on this fanfic may be slow. I still haven't quite got my writing groove back, so there's no guarantee that I'll always feel like doing anything. On the other hand, I may keep going until this is complete. You never know… Finally, if you're wondering what will become of my sidestories to Battle Against Fate, I may go back to those at some point, but not right now. I've had a bit of a creative block with those at the moment.**

**So, all that's left for me to say is I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Rebelion Against Fate, and please leave a review and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Kampfer.**

Chapter one- Encounter

It was a particularly wet morning as I stood by the bus stop. The rain was coming down pretty damn hard, as it had been long before I even woke up. However, I didn't mind too badly. I was huddled underneath my umbrella, playing around with my brand new iPod Touch- which I bought just yesterday. Maybe I shouldn't have, as it would be my birthday next week, but it had been tempting me for so long, I wasn't able to contain it any more… In any case, I was looking through the recent photos I uploaded onto my iPod yesterday. They were of me wearing a couple of new cosplay outfits that I'd been working on for some time, shortly before I went home to New York, actually. It had been a while since I last done any actual cosplaying, due to all the complications with me becoming a Kampfer, so it felt great to get back to doing what I enjoyed most. I even managed to drag Megumi into taking the photos for me! Actually, looking at the photos of me in my cosplay of Windia from Deathsmiles, I could tell that Megumi was a really good photographer. She really seemed to capture the finer details of my outfit, not to mention how cute I looked in it. That reminds me, I really need to update my DeviantArt account sometime… Flicking through the last of my Windia photos, I moved on to the photos of the other costume I wore that day- Cure Sunshine from HeartCatch Pretty Cure. Oh god, how much I love this one. I knew I had to do it the moment I first saw the character, and I knew I did her justice in the finished costume. Megumi also greatly approved of it! I couldn't help but give a sigh as I looked through the photos. I look so pretty… I was starting to fawn over my photos so much, I failed to realise the person creeping up right behind me.

"Heeeeeeeyyyyyy, Tara!" came a loud, and instantly recognisable voice. It made me jump so much, I ended up throwing my iPod in the air. Luckily, I was able to grab it again before it fell on the floor. Regaining my senses, I turned around to see Mikoto standing behind me. With that kind of energy, it could only have been her.

"Uh… Hi, Mikoto. Fancy seeing you here…" I said. That's odd… She doesn't normally catch the bus from here. She may have been to see Natsuru, but he lives nearer the next bus stop. What was she doing here? Mikoto was quick to notice the iPod in my hand, and saw the photo on the screen.

"Hey, that's a cute photo." she said, grabbing my iPod to get a better look. "Is this you? Nice bit of midriff showing, there."

"Y-yeah. Thanks." I said. "I'm wearing a cosplay outfit I finished recently. I kinda had a photoshoot with Megumi a few days back, and she took some awesome pictures of me in this costu-"

"Huh. Never knew you were into that sort of thing." said Mikoto, interrupting me. How can she be this perky first thing in the morning? Then again, she's always like that…

"Yeah, I've been cosplaying for a few years now, though I haven't done much since I moved here." I said. "So… Uh… What are you doing here? I don't normally see you at this stop…" One of my trademark subject changes, but it really was unusual to see Mikoto here.

"I… Um… Just wanted to see Natsuru before I went to school." she said. "You know he can transform on his own now, right?" She was right- Natsuru was indeed able to control his Kampfer powers now. As a result, Shizuku, being the Student Council President, decided to cut him some slack for once and let him attend school in his male form only. In other words, the female Natsuru would not be coming to school anymore. The official word was that she transferred to a new school over the summer, and as you'd expect, Natsuru himself was relived to never go to the girl's side again… Having said that, I could tell Mikoto was hiding something. If she'd been to see Natsuru, she'd have gone to school via the bus stop closer to his house, Now that I thought about it, she was travelling with her parents until recently, wasn't she? She came home on her own. Why was that? Though I can't deny she wanted to see Natsuru again, I don't think that's the only thing she came back for…

"Yeah. Learned about that from Akane." I said. "So, was that what you wanted to see him about? Or was it just to try and win his heart again, or something?"

I saw Mikoto's face blank out. She IS hiding something- she hasn't been to see Natsuru today at all! But before she could say anything, I suddenly felt something. Something I hadn't felt since a few weeks back… The next thing I knew, the two of us had jumped to opposite sides to avoid a watery projectile that had just been thrown at us!

"You okay, Tara?" Mikoto shouted across to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I shouted back. "But who the hell threw that?"

"I dunno." shouted Mikoto. "I've never seen anyone use water attacks on us before. It must be a new Kampfer!" No shit, Sherlock. You really think so? No sooner had we stopped to think about this, we heard a rather stuck up sounding laugh.

"Hee hee, so you guys are the ones I'm supposed to fight. You reds don't look like much, I'll give you that!"

We both turned to see our new assailant. She was a little shorter than me, and she was quite pretty. Her short hair was an aquamarine colour, and was tied in bunches. Also, her uniform was the same as mine and Mikoto's, and hadn't seemed to have changed at all in her Kampfer state. Oh yeah, she was also flatter than an ironing board… She had a look of supreme confidence- maybe cockiness would be a better word- on her face, like she felt she was better than anyone else. Lastly, her sleeve was rolled up just enough to reveal a blue bracelet. So she isn't a white Kampfer. That's a relief. But it still seems like we're in for a fight…

"Mikoto…" I said. "Get to school and tell Shizuku about this. I'll handle this new girl myself."

"What? No way! I'm fighting with you!" Mikoto protested.

"Just go!" I said. "I can handle this by myself. Besides, if we split up, she'll only be able to tackle one of us!"

"Awwww… Fine." said Mikoto, turning around and running in the direction of the school. That just left me with this newcomer, but I knew fighting here wouldn't be such a great idea. I needed a place where I could fight without drawing any attention. Knowing just the place, I ran off as fast as I could.

"Hey, come back here and fight, you coward! I'm not letting you escape that easily!" shouted the newbie, giving chase. Good, just as I hoped…

…...

I transformed as I ran along the path, hoping the new Kampfer wouldn't catch up to me too soon. The handle of my sword was a little slippery thanks to the rain that was still coming down hard, but I was nonetheless able to keep hold of it. Too bad my umbrella disappeared when I transformed- I'm getting soaked here! Still, now's not the time to think about trivial things like that. Thanks to the speed I was running at, I was able to reach my destination fairly quickly- an old shrine that had been abandoned for years. The whole place was open enough to have a battle, and since no one ever came here, we could fight unnoticed. Best of all, no one really cared about it enough to notice if it got badly damaged in the process. However, there was one other thing about it that made me want to use it- there were plenty of trees. Having made it to the shrine, the first thing I did was leap onto one of those trees to hide. From here, I should be able to observe my opponent, and see what she's capable of. Then I can decide on a plan of attack… Placing my sword on my back, I hid in the treetop, waiting for the enemy to show up. I didn't have to wait long.

"I know you're here! Show yourself! I'm getting so bored, and wet!" the newbie said, producing a few balls of water and throwing them randomly, in the hope of drawing me out. Okay, now let's observe her and see what she can do. She threw several more water balls around, not coming anywhere near hitting me. Even an idiot could tell she's a Zauber type. She threw even more water balls about, while complaining some more about how wet and bored she was. Is this all she's capable of? She doesn't seem to have any kind of idea what she's doing- she's not even thinking any of this through! I don't think she's just hiding her true power, either. It's pretty obvious she only became a Kampfer recently, like this morning or something. Okay, I shouldn't have any trouble beating her, but I should still be careful anyway. Maybe a distraction would work. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my iPod. Aha! Maybe this'll work! Oh, wait- I haven't put any music on it yet. Then again, I might just be able to- Turning it on, I quickly tapped on the YouTube icon, hoping that my Wi-Fi was still working. Thankfully, it was, and I was still logged in from the last time I used it, meaning I could go straight to my favourite videos. I touched one of them at random, and waited for it to load. Now just turn the volume right up, tap Play, and…

"Aha! So that's where you've been hiding!" said the new Kampfer, around ten seconds after Guile's theme from Street Fighter 2 started playing from my iPod. She produced another water ball and threw it at the tree where I was hiding. Note that I said WAS. Right after I started the video, I placed my iPod on the tree, and jumped to another nearby tree. As expected, the attack hit the tree with my iPod on it, and it dropped from the branches. The newcomer caught it, looking a little confused.

"Huh? What's this? Grrr, where are you, dammit? I'm getting really dirty the longer I keep this up for!" she said. Be careful what you wish for… I took this opportunity to jump from my new perch and land right next to my assailant. Before she could react, I pressed my sword right next to her neck. I had her.

"Now, what was that you said about me not looking like much?" I said, taking my iPod out of her hand. I hope it didn't get too wet…

"Dammit! How could I lose like that?" The new Kampfer said.

"Quite easily, actually. If throwing water around at random is all you can do, then you're not going to get very far. I've faced much tougher than you…" I replied.

"A-are you going to finish me off?"

"No. I'm going to let you go. Killing isn't in my nature. Besides, the rules have changed. It's no longer Red Vs. Blue. It's Red and Blue Vs. the Moderators. We're not fighting this war for them anymore, and if you have any sense, nor will you."

"What are you talking about? I was told by my messenger that I was supposed to defeat the red Kampfers. So why are you now saying that we aren't fighting anymore?"

"We are. But it's the Moderators we're fighting against, not each other. Haven't you even wondered why we have to fight in the first place?"

"N-no. I only became a Kampfer this morning, so I thought it was something I had to do without question…"

"In that case, you should give it some thought. You have to think about why we're fighting, and whether or not you really want this. By the way, what's your name?"

The newbie stayed silent for a moment, but she could soon see there was no way out of this.

"Y-Yume. Yume Hanamura…" she said, weakly.

"Well, Yume." I said, dropping my sword and returning to normal. "If you have any sense, you'll help us. Anyway, you should go. You don't want to be late for class. But please, think about what I've said…"

I walked away, leaving Yume just standing there. Aw crap, my umbrella hasn't reappeared. Now I'm going to get even more soaked. Haven't gotten this wet since that day I ran into Josie when I went back to New York in the summer. Good thing Mom suggested bringing a spare uniform and a towel with me, just in case. I decided to run the rest of the way to school, since I didn't want to be late, either. I could only hope that Yume would consider what I just said to her. Since she goes to my school, I'll see if I can find her later in the day and have a proper heart to heart with her.

…...

As soon as I arrived in school, I dashed for the nearest empty classroom to dry off and change into my spare uniform. Ah, that feels a lot better. Now I just hope I haven't caught a cold or anything… I then headed to my classroom, where I found my classmates gossiping, and generally looking excited. Wonder why? If anything, I thought they'd have been upset about Natsuru's departure. But the general buzz was a little bit more positive than I was expecting. I found Akane sitting in her usual seat, so I walked over and greeted her.

"Hi Akane. How's things?"

"I'm good, thanks." Akane replied. "You?"

"Not bad, all things considered. Mikoto and I ran into a brand new Kampfer just now. A blue Zauber type, though she was pretty weak. I told her a little about what's been going on, but I don't know if she'll help us or not…"

"No way! Really? Did you get hurt?"

"Nah. Like I said, she was a cakewalk. I got pretty badly soaked, but that's about the worst of it. But we can worry about her later. What's going on around here? Everyone's looking a lot livelier than I was expecting."

"You haven't heard yet?" said Akane. "There's a new transfer student starting here today. I think the class representative is looking for a new source of income now that Natsuru isn't coming here anymore, and she thinks this new student may be a good alternative. That's why everyone's talking about her."

Go figure. A new student, though- I wonder if that's Yume? Before I could think about this any further however, some of my classmates crowded around me.

"Hey, Goodman!" said one of them. "I heard you're going out with Takarashi-chan. Is that true?"

"Huh? Oh- yes, it's true." I replied. "Megumi and I have been dating for a few weeks now."

In that instant, the entire classroom crowded around me, knocking poor Akane out of her seat in the process.

"Wow! No way! I can't believe you're dating the former goddess of Seitetsu!" said another of my classmates, excitedly. Jesus Christ, what's gotten into them now! She wasn't the only one fangirling over me, as there were many more comments being thrown my way…

"I'm so jealous! Megumi's so beautiful and sexy! I really wanted to be her girlfriend!"

"Have you been out on a date? Have you kissed?"

"You're so lucky!"

"Have you seen her naked yet? Are her boobs really that big?"

Give me a break! These questions are starting to get really dirty now! The truth was, dating and kissing was about the most the two of us had done so far. Megumi didn't want our relationship to go any further until I was at least eighteen, which was fine by me. We still love each other, and that's the most important thing. Besides, I'll be eighteen next week. Not long now… By now, the class rep had just pushed her way into the crowd and broke it up.

"Come on everyone, there's no need to crowd around her." she said. "If you form an orderly line behind me- and charge a small fee, of course- I'm sure she'll be willing to tell you about any stories of hot lesbian passion with Takarashi-chan." Actually, no. I'm not. By this point, I was just about ready to bang my head on the desk repeatedly- if I was actually sitting down at a desk, that was. However, the bell rang, signalling the start of class. Saved by the bell, indeed. The teacher walked in as everyone settled down in their seats. I stopped to help up Akane- who was now covered in footprints and looking rather fazed- before sitting down in my seat.

"Good morning, class." said the teacher. "I hope you've all had a good summer. However, the time to relax is now over, as this term will be a busy one for you. Before we start, however, I have some important news to tell you. As you know, Miss Natsuru Senou transferred to another school over the holidays, so she'll no longer be attending class here. However, we now have another new student joining us from today, so I want you all to give her a warm welcome. And let's treat her a little better than you treated Senou, shall we?"

The entire class nodded in agreement, though I was willing to bet that wouldn't last long. With that, the teacher gave a signal, and the new student walked in. As she turned to face us, everyone gasped. She was really pretty, although something about her was a bit… off. She looked really nervous- not in the same way Natsuru was when she first enrolled, but really, REALLY nervous. Almost like she felt she didn't belong here. Well, I could sense she wasn't a Kampfer, so I didn't have to worry about that. She had short brown hair and matching eyes, quite deep ones, too. She also had a pair of headphones around her neck, and I could spot a Hatsune Miku charm hanging from her bag. However, I couldn't shake off this feeling I had about her. She may not have been a Kampfer, but she seemed really uncomfortable in this classroom. I wonder what's up with her?

"Anyway- class, this is Tetsuo Satou, our new student. I hope you make her feel welcome here, and try to get along with her, okay?" said the teacher. Akane and I nodded, but the rest of the class… Well, let's just say it was a case of history repeating itself. Everyone bolted out of their seats and crowded around Tetsuo, who was now starting to look even more worried. Can't say I blame her. Oh, and Akane had been knocked down and trampled again. She really gets it rough. In all the commotion, I could hear a few more inappropriate questions being asked, while I also saw the class rep moving into the crowd, along with the vice rep and the treasurer. Watching this, I started banging my head on the desk for real. Perverts, the lot of them. I could tell the teacher was also starting to lose her patience. Poor Tetsuo- it's always tough being the new kid, but it's even tougher when everyone's fawning over you and not giving you the time of day…

…...

Class began eventually, thanks to the teacher finally breaking everything up, and before I knew it, lunch had arrived. However, as I was about to head for the cafeteria, Akane and I received a message to go to the Student Council office. Shizuku wanted to speak to us, and I could guess why. We both made our way to the elevator, and pressed the button to call it. As the door opened, we were surprised to see Tetsuo step out! She didn't really stop to say anything, she just bowed to us and left without saying a word. She's sure quiet… Wonder why? Still, this wasn't the time to think about that- Shizuku still wanted to see us. We both stepped into the elevator and went down to the Student Council office. When we got there, we already saw Mikoto and Natsuru standing there, while Shizuku was at her desk, as usual.

"Hey guys, you okay?" said Mikoto, cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'm good." I said.

"I'm okay too." said Akane. "You guys?"

"Fine, of course!" Mikoto replied.

"Yeah, I guess I'm okay." said Natsuru, rubbing the back of his head. He looked kind of nervous.

"Tara. Akane. Glad you could both make it." said Shizuku. "Now that we're all here, I'll get straight to the point. As you know, it's been several weeks since we defeated Sakura and the white Kampfers. However, we all knew this wouldn't be the last we'd see of them. The fact that she's been missing ever since then is particularly worrying."

That was true. Ever since that previous battle, Sakura disappeared. Due to her popularity at school, it was actually pretty big news. Hell, I'm sure there are still posters doted around town asking to give any information that could help the police find her. If only they knew the truth…

"What's worrying about that?" said Mikoto. "If she's missing, she's probably been killed or something. Maybe punished by the Moderators for losing to us, perhaps!"

"Or maybe she's licking her wounds and coming up with a plan to defeat us once and foe all." said Shizuku. "As long as she's still alive, she won't stop until we're right back where she wants us- fighting each other. Either that, or until we're dead. We can't let our guard down for a second."

"We already know that." said Natsuru. "You didn't call us down here just to tell us this, did you?"

"Of course not." said Shizuku. "I was just getting to that. I don't know what Sakura has planned as far as we're concerned, but it does seem that right now, she's trying to start the Proxy Battles over again with new Kampfers…"

"You're talking about that new Kampfer that Mikoto and I ran into this morning, right?" I said. Shizuku nodded.

"Wait- what?" said Natsuru, who seemed to be the only one who didn't know about my little battle this morning. "A new Kampfer?"

"It's true." said Shizuku. "I sensed the presence of a new Kampfer this morning, and Mikoto confirmed it when she barged in right before school and told me about her. A blue Zauber type, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's right." I said. She said her name was Yume Hanamura, and she seemed kind of stuck up- although she's probably not like that when she's normal. She was pretty weak, though. I beat her in one attack. So, you think Sakura's trying to create some new Kampfers to fight in our place while she deals with us? Or maybe to force us back into fighting?"

"I don't know." said Shizuku. "Since we're refusing to fight, it's natural the Moderators would want to keep the Proxy Wars on this planet going. However, we can use this to our advantage. If new Kampfers are being created, we can try and get them to join us. We'll have to face Sakura and the white Kampfers again, and maybe even fight the Moderators themselves. We'll need all the help we can get."

"Yeah, it won't be easy with just the six of us." said Akane, making sure to count Megumi into the bargain as well. "Well, since we know about this new girl, maybe we should find her and talk to her?"

"I was thinking the same thing, actually." I said. "It shouldn't be too hard to find her, since she goes to this school. Maybe we should dig up some information on her as well. It could help us find out what class she goes to, as well as what she's really like, that sort of stuff."

"Good idea." said Shizuku. "A little extra knowledge won't hurt us. Alright, I want you to find out as much as you can about this Yume character. Then, we'll decide on a plan of action from there. I'll inform Megumi of the situation as well- maybe she can find out something about her as well."

We all stayed silent, but Shizuku could tell by our faces that we were in agreement. So, where do we start in trying to find information about this girl? While I was thinking about this, Shizuku spoke again.

"Oh yes, I also want to give these to you."

She opened a drawer and took out three passes, getting out of her seat to give one to Mikoto, Natsuru and myself.

"Those passes will let you go between both sides of the school as you see fit. Since Natsuru can now stay in his male form as long as he wants, he'll be staying over on the boy's side from now on. Therefore, we may need to go there from time to time- or Natsuru may need to come to the girl's side- in the event that something comes up. Hence, the passes. Of course, Akane already has one, as she's on the library committee, and I can go where I please in the school due to my position as Student Council president, so it's only you three who need one."

"Wouldn't that be a bit suspicious, though?" I said. "If people see us going between both sides, they might wonder what's so special about us that we've been given passes…"

"Not to worry." said Shizuku. "Officially, I've chosen you three to be on the Student Council Committee, so no one will suspect why you're suddenly able to go to either side. Don't worry, I won't actually have you doing anything Student Council involved- it's just a cover."

I sighed. I did actually turn down Shizuku's previous offer for me to join the Student Council a few months ago. But still, it was a good cover. Now we can keep in touch with one another that little bit more efficiently!

"Tee-hee, how awesome is that?" said Mikoto, grabbing hold of Natsuru's arm. "You really learned to change back on your own, haven't you, Natsuru?"

"H-hey!" said Natsuru, looking a little flustered. Akane watched on, and became jealous…

"I can't believe how low you're willing to go!" she cried out, grabbing Natsuru's other arm. "Natsuru chose me! He said so himself!"

"Heh, he must have been joking." said Mikoto, poking her tongue out at Akane. "We've been together since we were kids! Of course, I'm the only one for him!"

"You both forget…" said Shizuku. "He went out on a date with me. That's more than you two have done."

"You tricked him into thinking you were luring out the white Kampfers! How is that a date?" said Akane.

"I never said anything like that. I asked Natsuru out on a date. He only seemed to think it was just a ploy, even though I insisted otherwise. So why don't you both forget about him and leave him with me?"

"No way!" said Akane.

"Uh-uh. Natsuru's mine!" said Mikoto.

"Uh… Guys…" I said. "Maybe now isn't the best time to-"

I was too late to try and break this up. Once again, Akane, Shizuku and Mikoto were fighting over Natsuru. This had been happening more or less non stop over the summer, and if anything, things had gotten even more heated between them. As I watched them tugging away at Natsuru, I took a look at his face. He looked like he was about to snap in the not too distant future.

I wasn't expecting it to happen quite as early as I thought…

"Will you guys just CUT IT OUT ALREADY?" he yelled, tugging himself free from the girl's hands. They looked over at Natsuru, who looked furious.

"N-Natsuru…" said Mikoto.

"Seriously, I've had just about enough of you guys constantly squabbling over me! Can't you just leave me alone? Or is that too much to ask?"

"But Natsuru…" said Akane. "I thought you chose me? And didn't Sakura say back when we fought her-"

"Whatever she said, I didn't chose any of you." said Natsuru. "At least, not in THAT respect. I like you all. You mean a lot to me. But I'm not in love any of you!"

That left everyone shaken up a touch. Even me, actually. Can't believe he actually put his foot down…

"Then who have you chosen? Sakura?" said Mikoto.

"Of course not!" said Natsuru. "Not after what happened back then! She only loves my female self, but I chose to be a boy. Trust me, I'm way over Sakura. But that doesn't mean I want to go out with any of you. I'm glad you're all my friends, but that's about as much as I want!"

We all stayed silent for a few moments, until Natsuru turned around and walked out of the office. As he reached the door, he stopped to give one last word.

"You're right, Shizuku. We have to keep our guard up. But if the three of you are going to keep fighting over me, Sakura can take advantage of that and defeat us easily. Just try to keep that in mind…"

"Natsuru, wait-" said Akane, but she couldn't stop him from leaving. I looked at everyone. Shizuku had been silent ever since Natsuru snapped. I could only imagine what was going through her mind right now. But Natsuru had a point. If Shizuku, Akane and Mikoto kept fighting over him, it would leave us badly open to an attack. I turned around and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" said Shizuku, quietly.

"To the boy's side." I said. "I think Natsuru needs someone to talk to right now, and I don't think he'd trust any of you to do that without trying to make a pass at him. I think he'll be more willing to open up to me."

"I suppose he would." said Shizuku. "Alright, go. Talk to him. Just make sure you display that pass I gave you so they'll let you in."

"Sure." I said, putting the pass around my neck. With that, I walked out of the office. Wow, what a mess.


	3. Feelings

**Okay, here we go with Chapter 2. Things start to get rather slow and talky from this point, but I'm sure there's enough here to keep you waiting for Chapter 3. I think pretty much the first half of this fanfic is mostly talking, with only one major action scene in thrown in the mix. (And no, it wasn't the one in the last chapter…). However, once it picks up, it'll **_**really **_**pick up. So please bear with it until then. Hopefully it'll be good enough not to be boring.**

**Anyway, this chapter mostly involves Tara and Natsuru, and we find out a little more about Yume as well. I hope you enjoy it.**

**As ever, reviews are always welcome. They give me the most motivation to continue writing, so I'm grateful for every one I get!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Kampfer.**

Chapter two- Feelings

The boy's side… Just being here bought back memories of my ill fated previous visit when I disguised myself as a boy to look for Akane's chopsticks, which she believed she lost when she went to see Natsuru here. As much as I wanted to forget about that though, I knew I had to talk to Natsuru about his little outburst back there, so I had no choice but to come here. Thankfully, the pass that Shizuku gave me worked just fine, letting me go to the boy's side without any trouble. The boys were giving me funny looks as I looked around for Natsuru- guess they didn't forget what happened the last time I was here either. After a little asking around, I was told that Natsuru was seen heading towards the roof, so I went there to try and find him. As soon as I got there, I found him gripping onto the fence, looking straight ahead. I walked towards him, hoping he'd be willing to talk.

"Hey." I said, quietly. Natsuru turned his head and looked at me while I turned around and put my back to the fence, leaning on it.

"Tara… Did Shizuku send you?"

"No, I came here by myself. I felt you might want to talk to someone, preferably someone who isn't fighting over you. Is something troubling you? I wasn't expecting you to act like that back there."

"They've been like that the whole summer. Just arguing with each other over who I should be dating, without thinking that I might not want to date any of them. It just got to the point where I felt that enough was enough. I'm sorry I stormed out like that, but I had to say something."

"So, you really don't love any of them?"

"No. I said they mean a lot to me, and I mean that. Mikoto's been my friend ever since childhood, and she always took the time to send me postcards while she was away, so I can't doubt that she's been a great friend. Akane helped me out a lot when I first became a Kampfer. She filled me in on a lot of the details when I was still trying to get my head around all of this. I owe her a lot for that. And Shizuku… Well, she tried to kill Akane and I twice, she kept making things even more complicated for me than they already were, and she even stole my first kiss. But… She does care about me. That charm I bought her is proof of that."

"You mean that sea slug thing you got for her when you went out on that date?"

"Yeah, that one. Thinking about it, that was a pretty thoughtless gift. She was kind of insisting that I bought her something, and I was still convinced that we were only pretending to be on a date, so I just bought it without thinking. She could have thrown it away, but she still holds on to it today. And if it wasn't for that charm, I'd still be under Sakura's control right now."

"Yeah, it definitely brought you back to your senses. That charm saved all of us."

"Which is why I know Shizuku cares about me. It's not that I don't appreciate having them around, because I do. But I don't love any of them. They're just being selfish, the way they're acting. They're being far too pushy, and not even taking my own feelings into account. Not once did they ever think about what I wanted. Maybe I'm being as selfish as the rest of them, but that's how I feel."

"I don't think you're being selfish." I said. "I mean, you do care about them. I think you're being more honest, actually. If you don't love them, then letting them continue to fight over you isn't the best of ideas, you know? The longer it went on, the more heartbroken they'd be when they found out the truth. So no, I think you had their best interests in mind more than yours back there, so you're definitely not selfish."

"I guess you're right."

"There's something else bugging me right now, though. What was that about Akane saying you chose her?"

"She kind of stormed into my house the night I had that date with Shizuku, and demanded to know who else apart from Sakura I'd want to go out with. Of course, Sakura was the only person I was ever thinking about back then, but somewhere in my head, Akane sort of popped into my head. When I said that, she transformed and forced me out on a date. She didn't give me much time to really think it over, so I just chose her since she was right in front of me. Now she's convinced that I'm actually in love with her. But now that my mind is clear, I began to think I was a little rash in my choice."

I kept quiet as Natsuru continued.

"Even if I did choose one of them, the other two would get jealous and there'd only be more fighting. And we can't afford for that to happen. Up until now, I didn't say anything, because I didn't want to break their hearts. But it became increasingly clear that I'd have to do just that to put a stop to it."

"Is there anyone you do love?" I said. Natsuru shook his head.

"No, I've had too much on my mind to even think about love at the moment. You're very lucky you know. At least you're going out with someone you really love. You don't have anyone fighting over you, and you've made your mind up on who you want."

"It didn't come easy, I'll tell you that." I chuckled. "I spent a lot of time trying to convince myself I wasn't in love with Megumi, but I accepted my feelings in the end. Now… Well, you know how much time we spend together. And love is the most wonderful feeling. I'm so happy to be sharing that feeling right now. I think, given the time, that you'll find the person you're looking for someday, too. And trust me, it'll be worth it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"It will be, honest. Actually… If you don't mind me asking… Is Sakura really out of your system? Are you really over her?"

"Yeah, definitely. After what she did to us, I'm never going to think of her the same way ever again. Having said that, I want to thank you, Tara."

"For what?"

"For not killing her when you had the chance to. I don't think… she fully deserved it."

"What do you mean? After all that, you actually think that she-"

"I don't think I can fully explain it, and I could be totally wrong, but… I think there's a part of her that doesn't actually know what she's doing. Like, she has a split personality, or something."

"A split personality? You mean, like a good side which is the Sakura who everyone knows and loves from school, and genuinely has no idea of the Proxy Wars, the Moderators or the Kampfers, while the other side is the psycho bitch Sakura who's trying to make us fight? What makes you so sure?"

"I could feel it from her. She always had a real warmth to her, one which couldn't be faked easily. I think the Moderators may have implanted that evil side of her personality into her somehow. That's why I'm glad you didn't finish her off. Because it's possible that she can be saved. Like I said though, I could be wrong. She could well be evil through and through, and I know it'd be a mistake to underestimate her. If we have to fight her, I have no problems with that. If we really do have to finish her off next time, then so be it, even if there really is some good in her somewhere. Regardless of whether or not she's just being controlled by the Moderators, we can't let her do as she pleases."

That made me think. Maybe he was right. Perhaps Sakura really is just a pawn of the Moderators, brainwashed into doing their bidding. It's certainly not impossible. Maybe we should try and get to the bottom of this before we take her on again. At the very least, I'm glad Natsuru is no longer blind towards her. Even though he still thinks there's some good in her, he's prepared to do whatever it takes to put an end to the Proxy Wars, even if it means having to fight her… He's definitely grown over the last month.

"Is something the matter?" said Natsuru, noticing how quiet I'd been.

"Nope." I replied. "Just thinking about what you've been saying. I guess it's something we could try and look into. Once we've spoken to Yume, maybe we'll try and find out a bit more about Sakura. Maybe there could be some clues about who she really is. Who knows, we could even find out a bit more about the Proxy Wars as well. We still don't know the full extent of all this, after all."

"Yeah, you've got a point. The more we find out about the Wars, the better our chances of stopping them." said Natsuru, turning towards the door. "Thanks for talking to me, Tara. I feel a little better now. Oh, by the way- we still have some time before the bell goes. Want to try and dig something up on Yume?"

"Sounds like a plan." I said as I got off the fence. "But where do we start looking?"

"Well, I know just the person in my class who can help us. Not that I really want to rely on him, though. But if anyone can give us what we want, it's him."

I had an idea of who Natsuru meant. Hoo boy, we really have to ask for HIS help?

"Alright, lead the way." I said.

…...

It was just a short trip to Natsuru's classroom, and even worse memories of being here began to cloud my mind. Just thinking about that time when the female Natsuru ended up on top of me and the boys thought we were making out was making me shudder…

"Hey, Higashida!" came a loud voice that snapped me back to my senses. "Senou wants a word with you!"

"Huh? Okay, I'll be right over…" said Kanji Higashida, one of Natsuru's classmates, and the head of the Hottie Research Club. He really was the best person to turn to if we needed any info on any of the girls in the school.

"Okay, what is it, Senou?" said Higashida as he made his way to the classroom door. "You know I'm kinda busy trying to- WOAH!"

No sooner had he reached the door, he noticed me standing next to Natsuru.

"W-wait a second- what's SHE doing here? You two aren't… dating, are you?"

"Of course not!" said Natsuru.

"Yeah. Haven't you heard?" I said. "I'm dating Takarashi-Chan. Natsuru's not my type."

"Oh yeah. I heard about that." said Higashida. "Never thought anyone would manage to land that perfect angel… That kinda gives me goosebumps just thinking about it, though. Who'd have thought that two of Seitetsu's hottest girls would end up together? Though… Did you break up with the other Senou?"

"We- Uh… I mean, they were never an item in the first place!" said Natsuru. "That was all just a misunderstanding. You know, from what I heard."

Hmmm. This isn't getting us anywhere. Maybe we should just get straight to the point…

"Look, we're kind of missing the point, here. This isn't about who's dating who." I said.

"Oh? So what's going on, exactly?" said Higashida. Natsuru was quick to answer.

"Higashida, we need your help…"

…...

"Wow, so you've got data on every girl in the school on here? That's… kinda dedicated…" I said as I looked at the computer screen Higashida was working on. We were currently inside the Hottie Research Club room- or, as Higashida liked to call it, the nerve centre. What we were looking at was a full database of all the girls who've attended the school. Personally, I didn't know whether to be impressed or disturbed by all this…

"Yup." said Higashida. "If she's attended Seitetsu, she's on here. That's what the Hottie Research Club is here for. It's been a tradition of the school for generations, you know!"

"You started this club last year…" said a less than impressed Natsuru, pursing his lips.

"Ha-ha! I don't know what you're talking about!" said Higashida, who was now looking a little panicky. Trying to look not quite so stupid, he diverted our attention to his database and continued.

"B-but as you can see, we've got info like name, address, personality, age, even photos!. For instance, here's the file on Takarashi-Chan…"

Higashida pulled up a file on Megumi, which Natsuru and I read. Okay, let's see… Nineteen years old, that's true. Both parents and brother dead, no other relatives, also true. No proper occupation, but does errands to earn money, quite true. Loves animals- especially cats and rabbits, likes to wear her hair in pigtails, a double G cup… True, true and VERY true… Where does Higashida get all this info?

"Here, these are the available photos for her. There's only two of them, though…" said Higashida, opening the photos file for Megumi's profile. One of the two photos was a basic school photo from last year, while the other- WOW! What the hell? Only one thing I can say about the second photo- very little, if any, clothing…

"J-Jesus…" said Natsuru, holding desperately onto his nose. "T-that's… kinda… h-hot…"

"I-I'll say… I never knew she had a side like that!" I said. Wow, seriously, that photo's unbelievably sexy. Where the hell did he get it? No, let's not ask. Let's just get back to why we're here in the first place.

"Uh… As much as I'd like to look at this photo, we do kinda have other things to look at here…" I said.

"Okay, sure." said Higashida, closing the file. "Who was it you wanted to look up?"

"A girl named Yume." said Natsuru. "Yume Hanamura."

"No problem." Higashida replied, typing something into the keyboard. A few clicks of his mouse later, and we were presented with a file on Yume.

"Okay, is this her?" Higashida asked, bring up a photo of Yume. I looked hard at it. Yup, there's no denying it. The only difference between the girl in the photo and the Kampfer who attacked me this morning was the hair colour. It seemed her hair was a light brown when she was untransformed…

"That's her all right." I whispered to Natsuru. "She's the one I encountered this morning."

"That's her, huh?" Natsuru whispered back. I nodded, before Higashida turned our attention back to him.

"Ahem. So, as I was saying…" he said, a little pissed that we weren't paying any attention to him.

"Sorry." I said. "Go on, tell us a little about her."

"Well, she's sixteen years old, a first year in this school. Very cute, though not really beautiful. Totally flat chested. Hey, get this- she's rich. I mean, SERIOUSLY rich. She was supposed to get a private education at some boarding school, but apparently she refused, saying she wanted to learn in a normal school. She isn't anywhere near as snobby as most rich folks are meant to be- she said she doesn't want to be like that. She doesn't want people to think any differently about her just because she's rich and lives in a mansion. She's actually very kind and caring, and always puts others before herself. Quite smart, too."

Not at all like the person I fought this morning, then. Then again, some Kampfer's personalities change completely when they transform- just look at Akane. She's normally very shy and well spoken, but when she transforms, she become extremely violent and foul mouthed. I'm guessing when Yume transforms, she becomes all stuck up and snobbish. That makes perfect sense.

"So, what's with the sudden interest in her?" said Higashida. "You got the hots for her or something, Senou?"

"No! Nothing like that!" said Natsuru. "The Student Council President was interested in having her join the council herself, so she asked us to dig up some info on her and see if she's worth considering. That's all."

"So, what- you're both on the Student Council now?"

"That's right." I said, pointing to the pass around my neck. "This pass isn't given to just anyone, you know. But yeah, the President wants Yume on there as well, which is why we're here."

"Fair enough." said Higashida. "Tell you what, I'll print this file out, and you can give it to the President herself. I'm sure she'll find it good reading…"

"Could you do that?" said Natsuru. "That'll be a big help to us."

"Sure. Let's get this sorted, then." said Higashida, clicking on the print icon on the computer screen. Within minutes, we had our file printed.

"Okay, I'll take this to Shizuku, then." said Natsuru, taking the file. "You coming with me, Tara?"

"Actually… You go on ahead." I said. "I just need to do something, quickly. Maybe you should apologise to her for your outburst earlier, as well. Just make your feelings perfectly clear to her, okay?"

"Okay. I'll catch you later, then." Natsuru replied, before leaving the clubroom. As soon as he disappeared around the corner, I turned to Higashida.

"Um… Can you do me a favour, Higashida?"

"Depends on what you want me to do."

"Yeah… Could you… print out that photo of Megumi for me, please?"

…...

I spent the rest of the day wondering if Shizuku would read that file, and how we should approach Yume when the time came to talk to her. Not that I didn't concentrate on my schoolwork, but this may have been more important in the long run. I was also trying to ignore my empty stomach- after everything that happened at lunch, I realised I forgot to eat anything! Eventually, the final bell of the day rang, and school was over for the day. I decided I should see if I could get anything to eat at the canteen before heading home. As I left the classroom however, my phone rang. It was a call from Shizuku.

"Hello?" I said as I answered the phone.

"Tara, can you and Akane head for class 1-3, please? I've read that file on Yume, and it seems like that's her classroom. She always stays behind after school to help clean up, so if you go now, you should be able to catch her."

"Sure, but do you think she'll listen to me? Since I'm a red Kampfer, she could think I'm leading her into a trap…"

"That's why I want Akane there with you. She'll be more willing to talk to a blue Kampfer, and if she sees you both together, she'll realise that we've called a truce. Anyway, once you have her, take her to the McDonalds in the shopping district, where we'll talk in more detail. Megumi will also meet us there, so all six of us can explain the situation to Yume. So, can you do that for me?"

"I'll try." I said. "But what if she doesn't want to talk to any of us?"

"Then we'll still go to McDonalds anyway. Megumi's treating us to a meal there, so it would be rude to turn it down, no?"

"Okay. See you in a little while, then."

I put my phone away and turned to Akane, who was just about to leave herself.

"Hey, Shizuku wants us to go get Yume." I said. "She wants us both there, just in case she doesn't want to talk to a red Kampfer."

"Huh? Sure." said Akane. "Where is she?"

"Class 1-3, apparently. Then we need to go to the McDonalds in the shopping district, where everyone else'll be waiting for us. Even if Yume doesn't want to talk to us, we'll still get a free meal courtesy of Megumi, so it's all good."

"That doesn't sound too bad. Okay, let's go."

The classroom we needed was only on the next floor down, so we didn't need to go very far. As we approached the door, we took a quick look inside. There were a few students cleaning up, and amongst them was a girl who exactly matched the photo Natsuru and I saw earlier. Yup, that was Yume, all right.

"That's her!" I said to Akane, while pointing Yume out. "She's the new Kampfer."

"That one with her hair in bunches?"

"Yup. Shizuku was right- she does stay behind to clean up. Anyway, we should try and talk to her. Can you call out to her?"

"O-okay." said Akane, before calling out through the door.

"U-um… Yume Hanamura? Can I speak to a Yume Hanamura, please?"

Yume heard Akane's call and made her way to the door.

"That's me. Is something the matter?" she said politely, before looking over at me. She recognised me in an instant.

"W-wait a second! It's YOU!" she said, panicking slightly.

"Yeah…" I said, sheepishly. "I'm the red Kampfer who kinda kicked your ass this morning. It's okay though, I'm not here to fight. We're both here to talk."

"Huh?" said Yume. "Then, your friend here…"

Akane lifted down her sleeve to reveal her bracelet.

"Yes." she said. "I'm also a Kampfer. A blue one. It's nice to meet you, Yume."

Akane held out her hand, hoping Yume would shake it. I could tell she wasn't quite trusting enough to do so, though. In fact, she threw another question our way.

"So… You're both supposed to be enemies? You sure don't look like it. You seem to be friendly to one another…"

"We're supposed to be." I said. "But as I told you this morning, the rules have changed. We're not fighting each other anymore. That's what we want to talk to you about. Can you come with us?"

"Where to?"

"To the shopping district meet up with our friends." said Akane. "They're also Kampfers, and I think it's best if we all explain all this to you. It's okay, you can trust us."

Yume thought for a moment, and gave us her answer.

"Okay, I'll trust you. You seemed pretty sincere about what you said this morning anyway. I want to know exactly what's going on here." Yes! She's giving us the benefit of the doubt!

"Great! We'll let you grab your stuff before we leave." I said.

It wasn't long before Yume had packed up and joined us outside the door. We actually did it. We got Yume to come with us, and she's willing to hear us out. But will she help us?


	4. Understanding

**Chapter 3 is now complete! Most of it focuses on the conversation between our heroes and Yume. What will we learn? You'll find out soon enough. Also, Megumi makes her first physical appearance in this chapter, and we also have a scene between Tara and her family at the end. **

**As ever, please read and review!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Kampfer.**

Chapter three- Understanding

We didn't really say much to each other as we made our way to the shopping district. Guess Yume wanted to wait until we actually got there and met up with everyone else before saying anything. Still, maybe she could have tried talking to us so we could break the ice somewhat. Then again, we really shouldn't force her into anything she's uncomfortable with. In the meantime, I decided to call home and tell Dad I'd be home late. Don't want him worrying about me or anything.

"Hello. We're not in at the moment, so please leave a message after the tone." came Dad's voice from the answering machine at home. Guess Dad was out. He did say we needed some shopping today, so that's where he had to be. I decided to leave a message.

"Hi Dad, just a quick call to say Megumi's invited me and my friends to a meal at McDonalds, so I'll be home a little late. Bye!"

With that done, I turned my phone off and put it away. At that point, Yume decided to ask a question for Akane and I.

"So… How long have you two been friends?"

"Ever since I moved here a few months ago." I said. "I moved here from America, you see, since my Mom got a promotion on her job. Akane was the first person here I really made friends with."

"T-that's right." said Akane. "I work in the school library, and Tara became a regular there after she started."

"I can still remember the day we first really met." I said. "I went into the library to study, and I saw Akane walking along while carrying a huge pile of books. The pile was so big, she couldn't even see where she was going! Well, I don't think I need to tell you she walked straight into a wall, and she fell. I helped her up and offered to help her carry some of the books that she dropped. I think she was pretty grateful for that…"

"I was." replied Akane. "We got talking after that, and we found that we got on really well together. Of course, we're also in the same class, so that helped us become friends even quicker. To be honest, I'm not very good with people, so Tara was the first person I got to know well."

"And did you know at the time that you were both Kampfers?" said Yume.

"I wasn't a Kampfer at the time." I said. "I didn't become one until a few weeks after I started at school. I didn't actually realise Akane was one until the school festival. We'll fill you in more on that later."

"Well, I'd been a Kampfer for six months when I met Tara" said Akane. "Of course, I didn't realise that she'd become one herself, so it was quite a shock when I found out myself."

"The strange thing was, she was the first opponent I ever faced." I said. "I didn't know it was her at the time, as she's a completely different person when she transforms. It didn't go so well for me, actually. I was so terrified of fighting back then that I barely even put up a fight. Hell, I nearly even got myself killed."

"Wow. I can't imagine you being scared of fighting, after the way you acted this morning." said Yume.

"Believe me, I was." I said. "But thankfully, everything turned out okay in the end. I'm not the same person I was when I first became a Kampfer. I became a lot stronger in a short amount of time. And even though we're supposed to be fighting each other, Akane and I are still great friends. She's really been there for me during the harder times."

"You really think so?" asked Akane.

"Yup." I replied. "Especially when I was fretting over whether or not I was in love with Megumi. You really made me feel a lot better that day."

"Uh, hey…" said Yume. "I hate to interrupt, but isn't that where we're supposed to meet your friends?"

She was pointing in the direction of the nearby McDonalds, with Megumi standing outside. Yup, we were here all right. And Megumi was looking as delightful as ever.

"Oh yeah, this is the place." I said. "Looks like Megumi decided to wait for us out here. Hey, Megumi!"

I called out to get Megumi's attention. She smiled immediately as I rushed straight into her arms.

"Hi, honey." she said. "Sounds like you've had quite an eventful first day back at school."

"You don't know the first of it. Ah, you have no idea how happy I am to see you again, Megu-Chan!" I said, as we shared an affectionate kiss.

"Ha-ha, you sound like we haven't seen each other in ages!" said Megumi. "But I'm happy to see you as well. So, this must be Yume, am I right?"

Megumi turned her attention towards Yume, and held her hand out to her.

"Ah, yes. I'm Yume. And you are?" said Yume, shaking Megumi's hand.

"Megumi Takarashi. I'm a red Kampfer, like Tara. I've heard a bit about you already, even though you've only become a Kampfer yourself this morning. Nice to meet you."

"And in case you're wondering…" I said. "Yes, she's my girlfriend. We're going out. That's kinda why we were being so affectionate back there."

"Really? Wow…" said Yume. "I'm not quite sure what to think about that…"

"So, is everyone else here yet?" I asked Megumi.

"Everyone except Natsuru." she replied. "Guess he wanted to keep his distance from Shizuku, Akane and Mikoto after what he said to them earlier."

"You heard about that too, huh?" I said.

"Shizuku told me. To be honest, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. I'm just glad Natsuru found the strength to stand up for himself. Oh. Speak of the devil…"

As Megumi finished her words, we saw Natsuru running towards us.

"Hey…" he said, puffing and panting as he came to a stop. "Am I late?"

"No, we only just got here ourselves." said Akane. "So, shall we go inside?"

We all decided that would be a good idea, surprisingly!

…...

We found Shizuku and Mikoto sitting by one of the nearby tables as we entered- one that didn't have many other people around it, so we could talk in relative privacy. We sat down on the same table, then decided on what we were going to eat. As Megumi and Akane joined the line to order our food, Yume decided to start our conversation herself.

"So, why are we talking here, anyway? It'd be more private if we spoke in the Student Council Office."

"I know." said Shizuku. "However, we needed to include Megumi in this as well, since she's also one of us. She left school last year, so she obviously can't come back as she pleases. Therefore, we needed to meet outside of school."

"I guess that makes sense." said Yume. "But I still say it'd would have been easier to talk in the Office. Oh well, if that's what you wanted to do…"

She was looking at Natsuru this whole time.

"So… Uh… Natsuru. I've been wondering how you could be a Kampfer. I was told that all Kampfers have to be female…"

"They do." replied Natsuru. "I become a girl myself when I transform. It was damn annoying when I had no control over my powers…"

"Wait, that means that the female Natsuru that came to school before the summer…"

"That was me. I hated being on the girl's side, badly. Especially with all those creepy fangirls chasing after me. At least I can control when I transform now. I can actually stay on the boy's side and never have to worry about being pestered by my fan base ever again."

"You must have had it rough. I saw you being hounded by everyone all the time. I couldn't really see what the appeal was with your female form, no offence intended. I could see why the guys went crazy for you, but the girls? Now that was just freaky."

"Tell me about it." said Natsuru. "Still, I guess it's had it's plus points. If I never became a Kampfer, I wouldn't have met Tara, Akane, Megumi, and Shizuku too. They've become good friends to me, and I'm lucky to have them."

"Even if you don't want to go out with any of us…" said Mikoto, a little coldly.

"Hey, I apologised, didn't I?" said Natsuru. "Look, I know you're disappointed about what I said, but the longer I held off saying it, the worse it would have got. Look, I still think the world of you guys. But you're just not what I want in a girl. I'm afraid the three of you are just going to have to accept that."

"I suppose I should be thankful you're no longer in love with Sakura at the very least." said Shizuku. "But I still wish you'd reconsider your thoughts. I still believe I'm the only girl for you."

"Like hell you are." said Mikoto. "I should be his girlfriend. Not you!"

"In case you're wondering…" I told Yume. "…Shizuku, Akane and Mikoto have been fighting over Natsuru for a while. During lunch today, he decided he'd had enough and told them he doesn't love any of them."

"I see." said Yume, who turned towards Shizuku and Mikoto, who were still bickering. She coughed slightly to get their attention, and started speaking again.

"Look, Natsuru has a point. I think you need to accept the fact that he will only ever see you both as good friends, and nothing more. You should both consider yourself lucky he even thinks that much of you, especially considering your constant arguing could well have put him off you entirely. I know it'll be hard to move on, but you have to. It won't do you any good to dwell on it. Besides, you'll find someone else someday, and you'll wonder why you ever wanted Natsuru in the first place. So come on, stop this fighting and forget about him. If you really care about him, you should stop putting him through all this. I mean, how would you feel if you were in his shoes?"

Both Shizuku and Mikoto kept silent.

"I-I guess you're right." said Mikoto. "I've known Natsuru for so long, but I guess I never really understood him that well… Okay, I'll back off from him. I'm happy just having him as my friend!"

Shizuku didn't say a word. I really hoped she was contemplating what Yume said. Heh, so Yume's quite mature for her age. That was pretty unexpected. I turned my head around and saw Megumi and Akane walking towards us, each carrying a tray full of food. Finally! I'm starving!

"Here you go. Dig in!" said Megumi, placing her tray on the table. Akane followed suit with hers, and they sat down with us. As we started eating, Shizuku got down the main reason we were here…

"Anyway, let's get straight to the point, shall we? How did you become a Kampfer, Yume?"

"Well, it only happened this morning. A few days ago, my father came back from a long trip, and brought back one of those Entrails Animals as a gift to me."

"Your dad isn't at home often, then?" I asked.

"No. He works as an archaeologist, so he's often out of the country. He often brings me and my mother back something when he returns home, probably because he feels bad about leaving us on our own."

"Aha! Now I remember!" said Mikoto, jumping out of her seat enthusiastically. "Your father wouldn't happen to be Shinichi Hanamura, would it?"

"Oh, yes. That's my father's name."

"I knew it!" said Mikoto. "I thought I recognised your surname! Your father's that famous archaeologist who's been researching ancient cities lately, isn't he? My parents have been working alongside him, you know! I've even met him myself! Wow, what an amazing coincidence!"

Mikoto was speaking so loudly that everyone else in the restaurant turned to look at us.

"Uh, Mikoto- you're disturbing everyone here…" I said, settling Mikoto back into her seat. "Ha-ha, sorry about that, folks. We'll make sure she's a lot more quiet in future." I sat back down and turned back towards Yume.

"Sorry about that. So, you were saying about getting an Entrails Animal from your dad?"

"That's right. I kind of wanted one, and I was saving up to buy one myself, but my father brought one home for me when he came back from his latest trip. It was a Squashed Wolf, and I thought it was really cool. Then, I woke up this morning, and it came to life! It told me I was chosen to become a Kampfer, and I had to fight anyone who had a red bracelet. As soon as I was told about this, I agreed to it without questioning it. I mean, it's not like I was given a choice here, so I may as well go for it, right? As I made my way to school, my bracelet started glowing and I transformed, so I knew there was another Kampfer nearby. That's about when I ran into Tara and Mikoto. Following the fight, when Tara told me about the reds and blues fighting against the Moderators, I began to think about all this. You're right. I don't know why we're fighting, and it does seem odd that we're not given any other information regarding all this. Do you guys know the truth?"

"Not entirely." said Shizuku. "But I know for a fact that we're fighting a Proxy War to end a battle in another galaxy. The winning side on this planet will apparently decide who wins in the other galaxy. However, we don't know the full extent of all this. We still need to know the full details. Besides, several people have already lost their lives in this war, and many others have simply disappeared into nothing after being defeated. We can't let this carry on any longer. That's why we've made a truce."

"Wait, did you say disappear?" said Yume.

"If a Kampfer is defeated, or killed in a battle, they disappear." said Megumi. "All traces of them vanish. Even people's memories of them vanish. The only people who do remember them are those who fought them. In other words, us Kampfers. It's a heavy price to pay…"

"Geez… No kidding. I really didn't think any of this through, did I? I barely even put up a fight back then either, now that I think about it. I guess I was so caught up in all this, I didn't think up much of a strategy, nor did I even try and develop my abilities…"

"Trust me, I wasn't much better myself at first." I said. "In fact, I was even worse, as I was really afraid of fighting when I first became a Kampfer. But I found my courage eventually, and now I can fight with the best of them."

"I guess you're right." said Yume. "But I think the fact that I was so full of myself was another factor. My personality changed so much when I transformed. I don't normally act the way I did this morning, believe me."

"I know how you feel." said Akane. "I go through the same thing myself when I transform, too. You wouldn't believe how different I am in my Kampfer form."

"I can only guess." said Yume. "So I guess all transformations are different for different Kampfers, huh?"

"Well, Tara, Natsuru and I only change in appearance." said Megumi. "Of course, in Natsuru's case, it's a lot more extreme. Mikoto does become a little wilder when she transforms, while Shizuku is almost indistinguishable from her normal form. It does seem we're all affected differently from our transformations, yes. I couldn't really explain much of it, though."

Okay, I think I get it now." said Yume. "I have another question- You all became Kampfers after you received an Entrails Animal, right?"

"Yes, you're right." said Shizuku. "But what connects the six of us is that we all received our Messengers through one person. The same person who went missing a few weeks ago…"

"Y-you mean Kaede Sakura?" said Yume, quite loudly. So much so, everyone else in the restaurant turned to look at us again…

"U-uh… Sorry." said Yume again. "I'll keep it down… You guys got your Messengers from Sakura? I noticed she was giving her plushies away to people. And they all became Kampfers?"

"All of them" said Shizuku. "You see, Sakura's been responsible for creating us Kampfers, and has been making sure we do what we are told. When we chose to stop fighting each other, she created a group of white Kampfers to take us out. You know why she's missing at the moment? Because she's most likely plotting a way to bring us back under control, and stopping us from ever finding out the truth about the Proxy Wars. We know we'll have to fight her again some time, which is why we want you to join us. She and the white Kampfers are likely to much stronger than they were the last time we fought them, and we could use all the help we can get.

"Of course, when we first heard about you, we thought Sakura was creating a new batch of Kampfers to keep the Wars going even when we weren't fighting." said Natsuru. "However, from what you've told us, it's just a coincidence you happened to become a Kampfer, so we shouldn't have to worry about any more new ones. So, what do you say? Will you help us?"

"I don't know…" said Yume. "I want to, but the way I fought this morning… Wouldn't I just get in the way?"

"You'll get better." said Mikoto. "You said you didn't try and develop your Zauber, right? You can always try doing that whenever you get the chance. Tara trains with Megumi often, you know! I'm sure they can teach you a few things!"

"Another hand is always useful." said Shizuku. "As Mikoto said, you'll become much stronger if you train. If you truly want to do your best, you'll have the will to improve. And yes, I'm sure Tara and Megumi will help you…"

"Hey! Why just us?" I said. I wasn't aware of how loudly I was speaking, and guess what? Everyone else in the restaurant was looking at us. Again…

"Sorry…" I said, more quietly. "You guys could try and teach her a few things too!"

"That's okay." said Yume. "I'll see if I can learn a few tricks by myself. Though I wouldn't mind a sparring session with any of you to see how I'm improving."

"Sure." said Megumi. "Does that mean you'll help us?"

"If I do improve, then sure. I'll be happy to help you out." YES!

"Thank you, Yume!" said Akane. "I'm sure you'll be a great addition to our team!"

"I hope so." said Yume. "Actually… Are you all free the day after tomorrow? I'd like you to invite you over to my place. Maybe we can discuss a little more there?"

"We've already told you everything on the top of our heads." said Shizuku. "But I wouldn't mind coming over."

"Me neither." said Mikoto. "I wanna meet your Messenger!"

The rest of us also agreed. Sounds pretty cool.

"Then it's settled." said Shizuku. "We'll go over to Yume's place the day after tomorrow, then. Anyway, I think we're done here, so we may as well return home."

Sounds good to me. I think we've caused enough of a ruckus in this place right now…

…...

"You didn't have to walk me all the way home, you know. You wouldn't have had to walk all the way back to your place then…" I told Megumi as we both approached my front door. She insisted on walking me home from the shopping district, despite the fact she lives closer to it that I did.

"I know, but I really wanted some time alone with you." said Megumi. "It's okay, I don't mind the extra trip back."

"I guess not. And it's always nice to spend some extra time with you anyway, so I can't really complain." I said.

"You see? You're glad I came with you." Megumi giggled. "It's not like I'll get into trouble on my way home, and even if I did, I can take care of myself, no worries."

"Ha-ha, I can imagine someone trying to mug you, only to be turned into a popsicle." I said. "Nah, I wasn't worried about you being attacked, I just felt you were doing more than you really needed to, that's all."

"It's not a problem. Really. I won't tire myself out by doing this, so don't worry about me."

"Okay if you insist. By the way… Do you think Shizuku, Akane and Mikoto really will back off from Natsuru now that he's made it clear that he's not in love with any of them? I mean, they've been pretty obsessive over the holidays…"

"I hope so. I won't deny they've been shaken by this, but I think they'll understand eventually. I personally think that Natsuru's been giving this a lot of thought lately, and he's come to the conclusion that he couldn't really have much of a romantic relationship with either of them. I believe the argument the girls had this morning must have pushed him over the edge and forced him to make hid true feelings known. I hope they do back away from him though, as having them fight all the time won't do us any good."

"You're right. Well, I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yeah. See you soon, sweetie."

We kissed, and Megumi turned around and walked back home. As she left though, I suddenly remembered something, and I called out to her."

"Uh, hey- Megumi! I just remembered- are you sure you don't mind looking after my cosplay outfits while I find somewhere to put them at home?"

I kinda left the costumes I wore on that photoshoot a few days ago with Megumi, since I had nowhere else to put them. I was looking around to buy a wardrobe that would fit in my room so I could store them, but for now, Megumi agreed o keep them at her place.

"It's no problem." Megumi replied. "I have more space at home than I know what to do with. Just let me know when you're ready to move them, okay?"

"Sure, no problem!" I said, turning towards my front door. "Right, see you later!"

"Bye." Megumi smiled as she turned back around and walked off. Once she was out of sight, I opened my door and went inside. I was immediately greeted by Dad, who was unpacking some shopping bags.

"Hi, Tara." he said. "Good timing, I'm nearly done unpacking."

"Hey, Dad." I replied. "You need help with the rest of that?"

"Nah, that's okay. I've just got this one bag left, and I'm done. I got your message, by the way. Did you enjoy your meal?"

"It was great, thanks! School was pretty good today as well. I even made a new friend!"

"Really? That's great! I'm about to start dinner, so maybe you can tell me and Mom more about it then."

"Okay, sure. Don't make too much for me, though. I'm still kinda full."

"No problem."

As Dad prepared dinner, I sat down by the TV and did some studying. The next few hours flew by, until I heard the doorbell ring.

"I got it!" I called out to Dad. I rushed towards the door and answered it to see Mom standing there.

"Hiya." she said, giving me a hug. "Did you have a good first day back at school?"

"It wasn't bad, thanks." I replied. "Dinner's almost done, so I'll tell you all about it then."

Five short minutes later, we were at the table, eating.

"Are you okay, Tara?" said Mom, looking at my plate. "You don't have much on there…"

"Oh, Tara went to McDonalds with her friends after school today, so she's already had something to eat." said Dad.

"Yeah, I felt having two big meals was a bit much for me." I said.

"Oh, right." said Mom. "So, what did you do at school, then?"

"Well, I made a new friend." I said. "Her name's Yume Hanamura, and she's pretty cool."

"Oh, you mean Professor Hanamura's daughter?" said Dad. "Wow, that's quite a friend to make. The Hanamura family have made a big fortune over the years, thanks to the many discoveries Yume's father made. Is she into archaeology as much as her father?"

"She didn't say." I said. "But she's invited me and my other friends over to her house the day after tomorrow, so we might find out if she is or not."

"Lucky you." said Mom. "I've heard the Hanamura Estate is very large. You'll have to tell us what it's like after you've been there. Not everyone gets the chance to go to a place like that."

"Yeah, I'll do that." I said. "Oh yeah, there was also a new girl joining us in my class today."

"Another one?" said Mom. "Ha-ha, your class is getting a lot of newcomers lately, hasn't it? I mean, first there was you, then that Natsuru girl, and now someone else? What's she like?"

"I don't know." I said. "She was really quiet and kept to herself. All I know is, her name's Tetsuo, and the other girls in class went crazy over her. She is actually very pretty, but that's all I know about her."

"So your classmates forgot about Natsuru already?" said Dad.

"Oh, Natsuru left over the holidays." I said. "She transferred over to another school. I think the main reason's everyone's going nuts over Tetsuo is because they're all looking for a replacement for Natsuru. Tetsuo's certainly attractive enough to make everyone forget about her, that's for sure."

"I'll bet Natsuru couldn't wait to get out of there, from what I've heard!" said Dad. You have no idea how right you are… "But still, I hope this Tetsuo girl manages to settle in okay. Try and make friends with her too, if you can. She may appreciate having someone to talk to."

"Yeah, she probably will. Well, maybe I'll talk to her tomorrow."

Talking about Tetsuo suddenly brought back that strange feeling I had about her. She definitely wasn't a Kampfer, so what was it about her that seemed so off? Maybe if I tried to befriend her, I could try and find out more about her, and find out what her deal is. Now that I think about it, I saw her leave the Student Council Office just as Akane and I were about to go in. What did she want to talk to Shizuku about, I wonder? I spent the rest of dinner thinking about all this.


	5. Tetsuo

**Sorry this chapter took a little longer to upload. I took a short break from writing the other week, so it's taken me until today to finish it. But still, I hope the wait will be worth it, as this chapter puts most of it's focus on Tetsuo. We finally find out her big secret here! Also, there's another scene with Tara's family at the start. Maybe even a little forshadowing as well… **

**Unfortunately, I'll have to take another week off from writing next week, as I won't have much chance to do any. This means there won't be another update for at least another fortnight. It'll be worth the wait though. Why? Well, you'll find out by the end of this chapter. And there's another reason the next chapter will be rather special, though I'm going to keep quiet about that one…**

**Finally, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all those who lost their lives, and those who lost loved ones, in the recent tsunami that hit Japan on Friday. Though this fanfic has nothing to do with those events, apart from being set in Japan, of course, I still felt compelled to dedicate it anyway. I just felt like it was the least I could do... What's happened over the last few days has been truly dreadful, and my heart goes out to all of the victims in this tragedy. **

**As ever, please read and review!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Kampfer.**

Chapter four- Tetsuo

Following dinner, Mom and Dad and I did our usual chore of washing up, then we all sat down in front of the TV for the night. There wasn't much on that really interested me tonight, just some weird game show, and one or two anime shows I wasn't too keen on. I spent most of the evening playing with my new iPod, looking through my pictures again, and watching some YouTube. I was watching a funny Let's Play of Doom 2, a game I had on Xbox Live Arcade back when I lived in New York, and one I loved. Chuckling at the player's comments on why you really shouldn't use a chainsaw on a Cyberdemon (mainly because it was something I did myself once, just for shits and giggles), I managed to draw attention to Mom.

"You enjoying yourself with that?" she said, smiling.

"Yup." I replied. "Really glad I got this thing now. Even more so once I actually put some music on here…"

"Good. That reminds me, though- do you have any idea what you want for your birthday? I mean, it's next Saturday and all."

Oh! You know, I really hadn't thought about that. Wonder if there's anywhere I'd like to go out to as well? Maybe for a meal or something? I honestly don't know…

"Now that you mention it, I really haven't given it any thought." I said. "I'll have to think of something soon."

"Well, you'd better do so quick." said Dad. "Otherwise your mother and I won't have time to get anything, and you'll have to make do with money, like you did last year."

Hmmm. Money doesn't sound so bad, actually. I can always use it if I see anything I really want. Nonetheless, maybe I should still think up some gift ideas in the next few days. Think of something I really want, or really need. Maybe a bicycle, so I don't have to get the bus to school everyday. That could even save me some cash, too! Okay, that's one idea. I'll have to think up some more, as well…

"It's a big one, too." said Dad. "You reach the big eighteen this year. Maybe you should think if there's anything particularly special we can do on the day, or the next, since you're off that day. What do you think?"

"I was thinking the same thing, actually." I said. "Yeah, I'll have to think about whether or not there's anywhere I'd like to go for my birthday. It's actually a crazy thought, turning eighteen."

"You've grown up very quickly." said Mom. "It only seems like yesterday I gave birth to you, and now here we are, with you about to come of age. It's an exciting age to reach, it certainly was for me."

"Yeah." said Dad. I still remember when I was that age, and I was desperate to ask the girl of my dreams out on a date. Went pretty badly, actually…"

"Ouch." I said. "You got blown off?"

"The first time, yeah." said Dad. "But in the end, she actually ended up asking me out!"

"Did it last?" I said.

"Well, we're still together after all this time, so I'd say yes!" said Mom. Ah, of course. The girl of dad's dreams was, of course, Mom. Wonder if Megumi and I will stay together for that long. I sure hope so… The rest of that evening was spent with Dad telling me all about how he met Mom, with her correcting him on some occasions. It was such a wonderful night, that I almost forgot to keep track of time, so I could go to bed and get ready for school in the morning. I had a feeling it was going to be a busy one, as well…

…...

"A new Kampfer, eh?" said Pierced Sea Turtle as I got dressed the following morning. "Wonder how much trouble she's going to cause you?"

"None, actually." I said, pulling on my top. "We already spoke to her yesterday, and she's willing to help us fight the white Kampfers. OK, so she's kinda weak right now, but so was I at first. I think she'll grow into a strong fighter, given the chance."

"Well, if you say so. I have the feeling things are gonna be exciting over the next few weeks!"

"You seem pretty upbeat, considering we're not fighting as you wanted us to. Are you sure you're okay with me defying the Moderators like this?"

"Meh, I'm not too fussed. As long as you don't get yourself killed, I don't really care what you do. As Harakiri Tiger said back when you guys took on Sakura, Whatever will be, will be."

"I never knew you cared. Are you feeling okay?"

"Of course I am! If you die, or disappear, I'll turn back into a regular plushie! I'm much happier being alive, thank you very much!"

Heh, figures she'd be more concerned about herself. Oh well, never mind. I must admit, I'm actually starting to warm to her now. Slightly. Finishing off adjusting my uniform, I headed for my bedroom door.

"Well, time for me to go to school. I'll see you when I get back!" I said.

"Sure. Just try not to get into too much trouble, okay?" Pierced Sea Turtle replied.

…...

The journey to school was uneventful, which gave me plenty of time to think further about Tetsuo. I just couldn't get it out of my head. I knew something was strange about the female Natsuru when she transferred to our class, but Tetsuo was something else. She looked desperately uncomfortable in class yesterday, and that was before the crowd went wild. She clearly looked like she didn't belong not just there, but in the whole school. But why? Now that I think about it, didn't I see her looking over at the boy's side as I left school with Akane and Yume yesterday? Why'd she be interested about over there? Was there someone she liked there? Or maybe… No, that's unlikely. I'll probably find out the truth in due time, so I decided to stop thinking about it for now.

It looked like it was fairly quiet when I reached the gates. Where was everyone? But then I reached the floor my classroom was on. The reason it was so quiet around the place was because all the girls in the school were lining up around the floor. OK, so what's going on now? Although I probably didn't need to guess… I pushed my way to my classroom and entered.

"Hey!" said one of the girls in the line. "I know you want to see Satou-Chan, but you'll have to wait in line like everyone else!" Yup, I knew it. This WAS about Tetsuo. The class rep acts quickly, unfortunately.

"Actually, I just want to get into my classroom." I said. "I don't really care that much about Satou-Chan myself. So, if you'll excuse me…"

I squeezed my way into the room and made my way over to Akane's desk. From where I was, I could see Tetsuo sitting down at her desk, being mobbed. The class rep, the vice rep and the treasurer, as was expected, were standing beside her, keeping the crowd under control and collecting money. Make no mistake about it, the poor girl was looking even worse than Natsuru was when everyone was fangirling over her!

"Hey." I said to Akane as I approached her. "I see they're not giving Tetsuo the time of day again…"

"No, they're not." Akane replied. "You won't believe what the class rep is planning to do with her, either. Apparently, she's going to be the poster girl for our class! The rep wants her to advertise the school events she'll be planning, and she's already planning the costumes for her…"

"And I'll bet they won't be subtle, either." I said. "Actually, don't you think there's something… I don't know… wrong about her? I keep getting this feeling that she's out of place here."

"Hmmm… Now that you mention it, we saw her leave Shizuku's office yesterday when we went there ourselves, didn't we? And we saw her again as we left school. I wondered why she was staring at the boy's side… You're right, she does seem pretty weird. I don't think I've even heard her say anything, either. I wonder why?"

As I started to put all this info together, I saw the class rep shove away the rest of the crowd in the room.

"Sorry, you'll have to come back at break if you want to talk to Satou-Chan. Classes do start in five minutes, you know!"

"U-um…" I heard Tetsuo try to say something. Her voice was very slight, but as soon as I heard it, something hit me. Jesus, could that really be what's going on here?

"Don't worry." said the treasurer to Tetsuo. "The next session will be shorter than the last one. After all, we still need to go over your timetable. You're going to be a very busy girl…"

I could see Tetsuo really beginning to despair now. If I was right about her, I had to get her away from everyone, and fast! Come on Tara, think! But how do I know if I'm even right? Well… There's one way to find out. It won't be pretty, though…

"Akane…" I said. "I think I've figured her out."

"You have?" said Akane. "Who is she?"

"I'm about to find out." I said. "Wish me luck…"

I walked over to Tetsuo's desk and lifted her from her seat.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing with my money spinn- uh, I mean, our model?" said the class rep.

"Trust me," I said, "You don't want to get too excited about her."

"Um… why?" said the vice rep. I turned to Tetsuo and put on my sorriest looking face.

"Tetsuo…" I said. "I can't even begin to apologise enough for what I'm about to do…"

And with that, I kicked her hard in the groin. And she collapsed on the floor in pain, exposing her true nature. Holy crap, I was actually RIGHT!

"Tara… Was that really necessary?" Akane said to me. Maybe not, but it was all I could think of in such short notice.

"O-OOOOWWWW!" said Tetsuo, in a masculine voice. All the girls crowded around the scene gasped.

"Oh my god!" said one. "She's a… She's a BOY!"

Got it in one. Tetsuo was actually a boy. Everything added up. But before I could think any further, the rest of the crowd got a little crazy. And not in the way they did before…

"Geez, what a pervert!" said another girl. "He disguised himself as a girl so he could get over here and leer at us!"

"I can't believe I fell for him! He's such a sicko, pulling something like this!" said another.

"Did the Hottie Research Club put you up to this? You'd better talk, or we'll rip you a new one!" yelled another.

Uh oh, this was getting nasty. By this point, the crowd was starting to gather around Tetsuo, ready to give him one hell of a beating. However, I could tell that he didn't deserve it, so I pushed my way to him and broke up the crowd.

"Hey!" I said. "Leave him alone! I don't think he's here for any perverted reason. We should hear him out, first." I turned to Tetsuo, who was still holding onto his crotch in pain.

"I think I understand what's going on here." I said, in a gentle voice. The last thing Tetsuo wanted was for me to be yelling at him, especially since there wasn't any real reason for doing so. "You're here by mistake, aren't you? You were supposed to be on the boy's side, but you were put in the girl's side by accident, right? That's why you looked so nervous when you came into class yesterday."

"Y-yeah, that's right." said Tetsuo, as best he could. "Even though I'm a boy, I'm often mistaken for a girl. Some people even joked that I'm better looking than many girls out there. I didn't even realise this school had separate sides until I came here yesterday. I knew I was in the wrong place, so I went to the Student Council to try and set the matter straight."

"That would explain what you was doing there when Akane and I got there." I said. "What did the President say about it?"

"She said she'd do what she could to transfer me back to the boy's side, but the matter would be complicated, and it would take a few days to get all the paperwork done. So I've got to stay here until the transfer is completed. I-I'm so sorry. I never wanted to cause any trouble to anyone. I won't be here long, I promise."

I smiled and helped Tetsuo up while the crowd grew silent.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. At least something's being done about it, and you'll be on the boy's side soon enough. Here, let me take you to the infirmary. Since I kinda kicked you in the nuts, I owe you that much, at the very least."

"I can walk by myself, thanks. But I don't mind you coming with me. I appreciate it…"

"Okay. Let's go then." I said. We both headed to the infirmary, though Tetsuo was still limping somewhat. As we left the classroom, I heard the class rep mumbling to herself.

"Great, just great. Senou's gone, the new girl is really a boy… Where am I going to find a source of income now?"

…...

"How did you even figure me out anyway?" asked Tetsuo on our way to the infirmary. "I mean, I did everything I could to hide my identity until I was transferred over to the boy's side…"

"I kinda have a knack for these things." I said. "I've always been able to pick up on small details, like the way you were looking uncomfortable in class, and the fact that you never said a word. Once I've noticed details like that, I find it hard to stop thinking about it. Call it curiosity, or maybe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but once something's in my head, it takes a lot to get it out. How I guessed you were really a boy… Well, it was actually just a hunch. After noticing all these things about you, I just put two and two together. I figured out you were looking over at the boy's side after school yesterday because you knew that's were you should have been, and you weren't exactly having the best of times on our side. The fact that you didn't speak was obviously because that would have given you away in an instant. And, as you said, you went over to the Student Council was so you could get a transfer sorted out. It was just a guess though. A one in a million chance that just so happened to be right."

"Cool." Tetsuo laughed. "You really ought to be a detective when you leave school! I think you'd put even Sherlock Holmes to shame…"

"I wouldn't go that far myself." I said. "It's just that once something starts bugging me, I find it hard to let go. What I don't get is, how on earth did you end up on the girl's side anyway? I know you look very feminine and all, but didn't you say you were male on your application form?"

"I did. But I don't think they believed it, looking at me. I think they just thought I made an error writing on my form, and assumed I meant to write "Female" instead of "Male". And as I said before, I didn't know the boys and girls were kept on separate sides, either. I didn't even realise things would get this crazy."

"Boy, your parents must have found it hilarious…"

Tetsuo's mood dampened a little after I said that.

"A-actually… They're dead. They both died some time ago."

"Oh. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"Well, it's not like you could have read my mind. It's okay. I don't blame you."

"Do you miss them?"

"Of course. But I have a pretty big family, with lots of brother and sisters, so I'm anything but alone."

"That's not too bad then. At least you still have someone you can rely on. My girlfriend lost her parents and her brother several years ago, and they were all she ever had. I still can't imagine how lonely she must have been…"

"Wow, that's so sad. Wait a second- you have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I'm a lesbian. The two of us have been together for several weeks now, although we met a few months earlier. Let's just say I got into a little trouble, and she helped me. I'm really happy to have her. Don't worry, it doesn't put me on the same level as all those maniacs who've been obsessing over you this past day."

"Hey, if that's what turns you on. And I already knew you weren't like them. Good to know someone has some sanity around here!"

We both laughed.

"Hey, you seem to be improving a little." I said.

"Yeah, I guess I am." said Tetsuo. "Still, I guess it wouldn't hurt to take it easy for now. You kicked me pretty hard back there…"

"Yeah… I'm so sorry about that." I said. "I had to prove to everyone you were a boy, and since the class rep and her cronies had you on a knife edge, I didn't have much time to think of something. I felt that they'd all back off from you once they knew the truth, and if they didn't, I had to make sure you told us what was going on. I could also tell you weren't here to perv on us. If you were, you wouldn't have been so nervous. Still, none of that makes much difference. I still shouldn't have kicked you like that. I want to make it up to you sometime. Maybe I could treat you to a meal after school or something?"

"I doubt you'll take no for an answer, will you? Well, I'm kind of busy today, as I have a job to go to afterwards. But I might be willing to take you up on that offer some other time, as you're insisting."

"Oh, I am, alright. Well, we can think it over some other time…"

…...

After dropping Tetsuo off at the infirmary, and fully explaining to the nurse what had happened, I apologised yet again and went back to class. Things had finally quieted down a little, so the run up to lunch was mercifully uneventful. As soon as the bell rang, I left class to find a place outside to eat. I'd purchased a Bento box before school, just in case I had no time to visit the canteen, and since Akane would be working in the library right now, I had to find a spot to eat on my own. I decided that a spot with plenty of trees would be fine, since I'd be in the shade, so I headed to one such spot. As I got there however, I was surprised to see Shizuku standing by one of the trees, touching it and muttering something to herself. Is this spot special to her or something? Shizuku then spotted me and let go of the tree, somewhat startled.

"Ah! Tara! Have you been here long?"

I shook my head.

"No, I just got here." I said. "Was something on your mind? You seemed pretty deep in thought…"

Shizuku stayed quiet for a moment, then turned back to the tree and spoke up.

"I was talking to Tamiko, you could say. I was asking her to watch over us during our incoming battles. I know it's been quiet at the moment, but pretty soon, we won't have much time for anything else but fighting. I can feel it."

"Me too. I have a bad feeling that whatever we've fought in the past will be nothing compared to what's around the corner. I can only hope we'll be okay."

"I hope so too…" said Shizuku. As she spoke, I began to wonder something. Tamiko was Shizuku's mentor, wasn't she?

"Say… Shizuku? What was Tamiko like? I know she meant a lot to you, but you haven't said much about her. I want to know more…"

"You're right. She was very special to me. I suppose I could tell you more about her, though it may take until the end of lunch."

"That's okay. I have my own packed lunch, so I can eat it while I'm listening."

"I see. Then, we may as well eat together."

Shizuku reached into her bag and took out her own packed lunch.

"Sure." I said. We both sat down and opened up our lunch boxes.

"Now, where to begin?" said Shizuku. I suppose the best place to start would be when I first became a Kampfer…"


End file.
